Thanksgiving was on November 28th this year. For the second year in a row, Thanksgiving has proven to be one of the hardest days for me to be while living outside of the United States. I suppose it is because it is a normal Thursday in Australia and it all just feels wrong. I know I have nothing to complain about. It was a gorgeous day in Sydney. To make it even better, Sean left work for a long lunch and met me in Manly where we ate at Mex & Co. It was the best Mexican food we have had since being in Australia. If it had been any other Thursday, I would have considered it a fantastic day. But, it wasn't any other Thursday. It was Thanksgiving. And Mexican food is nothing like eating turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc., etc. at a table surrounded by my family. So, like last year, I fell into a little funk.
This funk was not easily shaken off. It continued into the weekend. Sean and I were both feeling it on Saturday; we were bickering all day. In the course of the day, I said a little prayer to ask God to help me improve my mood because I knew I was needing some outside help. It got to dinnertime and we decided to treat ourselves to a Teppanyaki restaurant (a Japanese Steakhouse in the States). We didn't have reservations, but we thought if we got there early enough, we could get a seat. So, we went to a local Teppanyaki restaurant around 5:00 pm. Unfortunately, they were all booked up for over 2 hours. We had a good parking spot, so we began walking around on a nearby street that has a lot of restaurant options.
On a whim, we decided to go to an American restaurant, Blue Plate Bar and Grill. We had only been to it once and it had been over a year ago. We had thought it was okay the last time we were there, but we did not think it was anything special. When we walked in this evening, we discovered that it was not the normal menu, but a set menu. All the restaurant was serving for the night was a Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings. It was a little pricey, but we quickly agreed. It was the best comfort food EVER. It was served family style and we all ate our fill. It was some of the best turkey, glazed ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie we had ever tasted.
The music selections for the night enhanced the entire experience. It is hard to describe the type of music, but it was a mix of songs that all immediately made you think of America (i.e. The Eagles, the Beach Boys, George Thorogood, Elvis Presley). I even teared up when they played "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver. I grew up listening to John Denver and that song has never had more meaning to me than it does now.
Overall, it was a soul restoring meal. We all felt awesome when we left Blue Plate that night. The family walked past the Teppanyaki restaurant on the way back to the car. We had never been so happy to have our plans go awry. Every failed decision we made that day had led us to being at the right place at the right time that evening. It was too perfect to merely be a coincidence.
I am thankful for many things in my life. Our family has been blessed beyond belief. Yet, on that evening I was most thankful for receiving such a strong sign of God's love. Thanks, Big Guy.
This funk was not easily shaken off. It continued into the weekend. Sean and I were both feeling it on Saturday; we were bickering all day. In the course of the day, I said a little prayer to ask God to help me improve my mood because I knew I was needing some outside help. It got to dinnertime and we decided to treat ourselves to a Teppanyaki restaurant (a Japanese Steakhouse in the States). We didn't have reservations, but we thought if we got there early enough, we could get a seat. So, we went to a local Teppanyaki restaurant around 5:00 pm. Unfortunately, they were all booked up for over 2 hours. We had a good parking spot, so we began walking around on a nearby street that has a lot of restaurant options.
On a whim, we decided to go to an American restaurant, Blue Plate Bar and Grill. We had only been to it once and it had been over a year ago. We had thought it was okay the last time we were there, but we did not think it was anything special. When we walked in this evening, we discovered that it was not the normal menu, but a set menu. All the restaurant was serving for the night was a Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings. It was a little pricey, but we quickly agreed. It was the best comfort food EVER. It was served family style and we all ate our fill. It was some of the best turkey, glazed ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie we had ever tasted.
The music selections for the night enhanced the entire experience. It is hard to describe the type of music, but it was a mix of songs that all immediately made you think of America (i.e. The Eagles, the Beach Boys, George Thorogood, Elvis Presley). I even teared up when they played "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver. I grew up listening to John Denver and that song has never had more meaning to me than it does now.
Overall, it was a soul restoring meal. We all felt awesome when we left Blue Plate that night. The family walked past the Teppanyaki restaurant on the way back to the car. We had never been so happy to have our plans go awry. Every failed decision we made that day had led us to being at the right place at the right time that evening. It was too perfect to merely be a coincidence.
I am thankful for many things in my life. Our family has been blessed beyond belief. Yet, on that evening I was most thankful for receiving such a strong sign of God's love. Thanks, Big Guy.
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| I cannot even tell you how excited we were looking at this menu. |
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| Our food came out and we were soooo happy! |
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